


You, Me, Earth. Let's do this thing.

by OpalAstrophile



Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: Earth Day, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-26 08:17:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14398023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OpalAstrophile/pseuds/OpalAstrophile
Summary: It's Earth Day, so Riley and Farkle go out to Central Park, where Riley proceeds to teach Farkle the importance of the Earth.





	You, Me, Earth. Let's do this thing.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write something as a part of celebrating Earth Day, and this popped into my head. It is set in Riley and Farkle's sophomore year in the middle of spring.

“Oh, Farkle, today’s gonna be a wonderful day!” said Riley happily.

The pair were walking in Central Park. It was a bright, sunny day-----the kind where the birds were singing and people were outside enjoying the fresh air.

Farkle smiled and asked, “And may I ask why?”

“It’s April 22.”

“Ok…” said Farkle still not catching on. “So?”

“It’s Earth Day! I thought a genius like yourself would’ve known that,” Riley teased. “Earth Day is one of the best days of the year. It’s a full day to express your appreciation and love for this planet that we live on. This world is so beautiful. We have to care for it and preserve it, or it’ll be ruined.”

Farkle nodded, giving in to Riley’s enthusiasm. She stopped walking for a moment, closed her eyes, and breathed deeply. 

Farkle watched her do this. The sun illuminated her face, and it seemed to shine. Her long, brown hair cascaded past her shoulders and down her back, glistening in the light. Her expression was so peaceful, and Farkle thought that he had never seen anyone more beautiful than her. She took his breath away.

With her eyes still closed she said, “Do you feel that, Farkle? That’s life. The sun on your face, listening to people talking on the streets, the birds singing, inhaling the fresh air. The Earth is our only home, but it’s incredible. Look at all the things that it has. The trees, the oceans, deserts, valleys, mountains, volcanoes, so many different things that are homes for many different creatures.”

Riley opened her eyes, and in them Farkle saw pure contentment. He loved listening to her talk about something that she was passionate about, no matter what it was. 

“I never really thought about it that way before,” said Farkle, still staring into Riley’s eyes. They held each other’s gaze for awhile before Riley looked down and blushed.

“I’m glad that I can teach a genius new things,” Riley said, and with a quick glance at Farkle, she continued walking.

Comfortable silence commenced, and all that could be heard were the sound of their shoes hitting the ground and of the nature around them. A light breeze blew through the trees, and the birds were singing happily.

Riley began to hum quietly. She wasn’t humming any tune in particular, but it was music to Farkle’s ears. 

Farkle couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t loved Riley. When he hadn’t been in love with Riley. When they had met as young children, he had felt a strong connection to her. It had started out as love for a friend. He still loved Riley as a friend. But as he got older, he started developing romantic feelings for her. It scared him, so he immediately confessed it to Riley, who brushed it off as a silly crush. 

Throughout his elementary school years and into middle school, he kept professing his love to Riley, and extending it to Maya as well. He did love Maya, but not in the way that he loved Riley. Equal, but not the same.

Once they’d gotten to 7th grade, he decided that he would “choose between” Riley and Maya. In reality, he already knew which one held his heart. He was incredibly surprised when they both proceeded to fight over him. He saw how much it hurt their friendship, and he decided that he wouldn’t do that to them. 

In 8th grade, Riley and Maya pushed him toward Isadora Smackle. They said that he would learn about love from her. He let them push him, because he knew that Riley would never see him as more than a friend. Riley liked Lucas anyway, so he figured that he would try to move on.

It didn’t work. Yes, he liked Smackle, but he knew that he had stronger feelings for Riley. Soon, Smackle figured this out. She was a genius, after all. She told him to go tell Riley before it was too late, but he refused, not wanting to ruin the friendship that they had. 

Now they were in their sophomore year. Lucas had broken up with Riley the year before, saying that they were just too similar. Farkle had tried not to rejoice at that, because his best friend was upset and needed him just as he was, and not as anything more.

After many going through many tissue boxes and having many late night talks, Riley had recovered from the breakup. Farkle expected things to go back to normal, but she kept asking to come over just as frequently. They got closer, not as close as Riley and Maya were, of course, but closer then they were before. Something had changed between them; they both felt it. It just hadn’t been addressed.

This is how Farkle ended up walking with Riley through Central Park on Earth Day. He had been so lost in thought that he had stopped walking. Riley waved a hand in front of his face with no response.

“Farkle. Farkle!” she said. Farkle blinked rapidly and refocused on Riley.

“Sorry. I was…thinking,” he said, sitting down and leaning his back against a tree.

Riley sat down beside him and absently swept her fingers through the blades of grass. 

“About what I was saying about nature?”

“Uh, yeah,” he said. 

“Farkle, you are a horrible liar. But I’ll pretend like you meant what you said and are being loyal in your thoughts to this great day. Which means that you are thinking about the Earth,” said Riley.

“I was thinking about someone on Earth. Does that count?” asked Farkle.

Riley thought about it. “Maybe. Is that person celebrating Earth Day?” 

“Yeah, she is. She joined an environmental group a couple weeks ago to try to spread the word about how humans are hurting the Earth with all the fossil fuels and waste. She is walking outside enjoying and appreciating the nature around us. She tries to save water because she knows that our supply of clean water isn’t endless. She understands how important this world is, but no one understands just how important _she_ is.”

Farkle realized that he had maybe said too much. Riley would’ve definitely figured out that the person he was talking about was her.

“Farkle,” Riley said quietly. He raised his eyes to meet hers.  


”Yes, Riley?” 

“Were you talking about me?” she asked.

Farkle paused. He could deny it, but what was the point? He hadn’t said that he was in love with her or anything. “Yeah, that’s you.”

“Well, I think I know a person who understands how important I am,” she said.  


Farkle didn’t dare hope. Did he?

“Oh, yeah? Who’s that?”

“Maya. Who else?” said Riley. 

Farkle was disappointed. Of course she said Maya. She had no reason to say him. He tried to hide his disappointment, but Riley was his best friend, and she saw right through him.

“I also know another person who understands how important I am,” she said.

Farkle didn’t say anything. She was probably gonna say her parents or Auggie. Or Lucas. Oh, please don’t say Lucas.

“But really, I’m not that important. This person always makes me feel like it, though. He always puts me first. With him, I feel like I could do anything,” said Riley, smiling.

Farkle’s heart plummeted. This person was definitely not him. He never made Riley feel important, did he? 

Riley waited for the realization to come, but it didn’t appear. Farkle wasn’t getting it.

“Don’t you want to know who it is?” she asked.

“Uh…um…not really, Riley. You’ve clearly already proved me wrong, so, I don’t really need any more evidence,” he said, turning away from her. “I think I should go. You know, it’s gonna get dark soon, and I have some homework to do…”

Oh no, he really wasn’t getting it. “No, Farkle, you can’t leave yet!” 

Riley grabbed onto his arm as he tried to get up, pulling him back to the ground. 

“Riley, I understand that it’s important to be outside enjoying the nature on Earth Day, but I really should go,” he said. 

“You know, you really are stupid for a genius,” she said. Riley was getting annoyed. How did Farkle not see it?

“Excuse me?” said Farkle, feeling only slightly offended, and mostly confused.

Riley sighed. “You just aren’t getting it!”

“Getting what, Riley? That I don’t understand how important you are? That I’m not good enough for you? Well, it’s all true, so just let me go,” he said, starting to get angry.

Riley groaned. “You couldn’t be more wrong, Farkle.” She took a deep breath and continued, “It’s you. It’s always been you. Farkle, _you_ are the person who always put me first. _You_ are the person who makes me feel like I really am important. With _you_ by my side I feel like I could do anything! Don’t you get it? Even though you want me to, I can’t let you go.”

Farkle was shocked. It was him. Riley chose him.

“It’s me,” he said slowly, as if he didn’t really believe it. He wasn’t sure that he really did.

Riley laughed. “Yes, silly. It’s you.”

That was all the confirmation that Farkle needed. He cupped Riley’s face in his hands and leaned toward her, and she did the same. Their lips crashed together. 

Farkle and Riley had both kissed other people before, but it had never felt like this. This was like fireworks. Each person put all their feelings into that kiss, trying to communicate just how much they cared for one another.

It was like a supernova. A collision that would change the world----their world----forever. 

They broke apart to breathe. “Oh, I wish I hadn’t missed in 7th grade when I tried to kiss you,” said Farkle, pressing his forehead against Riley’s.

“I still consider that to be my first kiss. It was Maya-approved, you know,” said Riley. “Plus, we have plenty of time to make up for it now, don’t we?”

Farkle pretended to contemplate the idea, then said, “Yeah, I agree.”

Riley elbowed him playfully. “Don’t waste so much time deciding next time.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” he said, leaning back in to kiss her again.

Riley giggled and whispered, “I’m glad,” before pressing her lips to his again. 

They broke apart after a couple seconds, and Riley shifted so that her head lay against Farkle’s chest. He began playing with strands of her hair.

“You know, I think Earth Day has to be one of my favorite days now,” said Farkle.

“Oh yeah?” said Riley, looking up at him. “And why’s that?”

“Because I understand how important the Earth is now and why we need a day to appreciate it and the things that are in it,” he said, smiling down at her.

“So I taught you something,” said Riley.

“You always teach me things,” he responded. “And I learned many important things today.”

“I learned something today, too,” said Riley.

“Really? And what’s that?” he asked.

“That it really is you and me against the world,” she said, clasping her hand with his.

Farkle grinned. “You, me, Earth. Let’s do this thing.”

**Author's Note:**

> Appreciate, love, and care for the Earth. It's our only home.


End file.
